If you have a decently robust stand mixer (my KitchenAid is 350 watts and can just barely handle this recipe), the following recipe is a really easy way to make a hearty round loaf. It can be sliced into slices for sandwiches, and they will taste great, but because the loaf is round the slices will vary in size as you slice through the loaf. This is the antithesis of Wonder Bread; this is pretty chewy and full flavored. I once made this for a potluck supper, and it was a huge hit; an elderly Italian man told me this bread was just like what his mother used to make. The recipe is from Bernard Clayton's 'New Complete Book of Breads'. While from start to finish it takes about 4 or 5 hours, most of that time you're not doing anything. Once the dough is mixed up, there's very little to do except transfer the dough from one container to another, then put it in the oven when risen.

ITALIAN BATTER BREAD

1 ¾ cup hot water (120-130 degrees)
4 ½ cups bread flour
2 packages dry yeast (I used Red Star Platinum with good results)
1 teaspoon salt
some cornmeal for dusting

Equipment: one round pizza pan, 12 or 14 inches, greased and sprinkled with cornmeal (disposable aluminum pizza pans work fine)
(also, optional: a mixing bowl, greased and sprinkled with cornmeal)

Start with the mixer flat beater or whip; as the dough gets stiffer switch to the dough hook. (Or, if you want to start with the dough hook, it’ll work out just as well, in my opinion.)

Pour two cups of flour and the hot water into the mixer bowl. With the mixer running, add the yeast and the salt. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, add the flour in ¼ cup increments until it’s thick and heavy. Once all the flour is added, change to the dough hook if you haven’t done so already, and beat the dough at high speed for 25 minutes, if your mixer can stand it. (During that time you may need to stop to let the mixer cool down. That’s okay, or if you can mix it a medium speed that’s okay too--but do beat the dough for about 25 minutes.)

The dough will be very rubbery and elastic. You may need to stop the mixer every now and then and scrape the dough down off the hook, then restart the mixer.

First Rising: 2 to 3 hours Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm spot until about triple in volume, about 2 to 3 hours. (One minor change I do: instead of leaving in the mixer bowl, I dump the dough into a second bowl which has been greased and dusted with cornmeal--that makes the following transfer easy--but either way, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it alone 2 or 3 hours in a warm spot.)

Second rising: about an hour Gently scrape the dough on to the greased pizza pan. It’ll be very soft and poofy, and try not to deflate it too much as you transfer it. Put flour on your fingers and tuck the edges under so you have a fairly smooth top. Cover with a flour-dusted cloth, and leave in a warm spot to double in volume, which will take about an hour.

Twenty minutes before you start to bake it, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Once the second rise is done, remove the cloth from the dough and bake on the center shelf of the oven until golden brown and crusty, about 50 minutes. To check for doneness, turn the loaf over to make sure it’s browned on the bottom, and give it a thump: it should sound hollow.

Transfer to a metal rack to allow it to cool a bit before slicing or tearing into chunks.

This post was edited by arley on Tue, Oct 15, 13 at 4:34

Sounds exactly like the dense, chewy bread she wants to make, arley! Do you know what would happen if it were made in a loaf pan instead of a rustic shape?

I'm not sure about her mixer. It is a Kitchen Aid lift bowl that her great aunt gave her. Wouldn't it be great if it were one of the old Hobart-made KAs!

For the fluffy, Wonder-bready loaf, I've sent her link to The Kitchn's Sandwich Loaf. I've not tried it, but The Kitchn is usually reliable.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Make Basic White Sandwich Bread

If it's one of those lift-bowl KA mixers, it most likely has enough oomph. But if she has to pause the beating for a bit to let the machine cool down, it's no big deal.

Dunno, it's worth a try in a loaf pan. One thing, though--depending on the size of your loaf pans, you might need two of them. If you get a good rise and oven spring, the total volume of this recipe is nearly half a basketball. Do a google image search 'Italian Batter Bread' and notice how big it can get.

This post was edited by arley on Tue, Oct 15, 13 at 11:41